Gateways 07_ What Lay Beyond - Diane Carey [98]
Picard cleared his throat and succinctly explained how the Petraw found the technology and sought to sell it to further their personal goal of extending their empire. They knew enough to turn on the entire network but not how to shut it down or even program direction. As a result, the unchecked access had resulted in widespread trouble, even loss of life.
“You have a bright people,” the woman said. “We have studied you since the first gateway was activated in many hundreds of years. Your response has been, in the past, to blow up our technology.”
The captain inwardly winced at the realization. The first gateway that had been discovered, on a Kalandan outpost a century ago, was destroyed by Spock on the Enterprise. The gateways found on Iconia, Alexandra’s Planet, and Vandros IV had all been destroyed as well, by Picard, Elias Vaughn, and Benjamin Sisko, respectively. He could see their point.
“If you have studied us,” he replied, “then you know such destruction is a last choice. We would much rather simply turn them off, preserving your legacy.”
“Yes, we have seen that,” one of the men said. He couldn’t tell which since they seemed remarkably similar in appearance. At best, the cut of clothing was the only major difference he could tell. Men and women alike kept their hair long, tied neatly behind their heads.
“When the first gateway was used by these Petraw,” the woman closest to Picard said, “it activated an alarm here. We had no idea what it meant it has been so long since the last such alert but we finally figured out that it meant our equipment was in use. Our leader at the time had to consult the computer records to find out what the alarm signified and what we were to do.”
“We were formed,” the final man on the bench said. He stood and gestured to the six Iconians in the room. “We are the Sentries, gathered when our equipment is in use. Our laws say we are to monitor the use, record the species that employ the gateways, and watch.”
“Watch for what?” Picard asked.
“Watch for incursion,” the man replied. “We left your space to be on our own, to pursue new interests and not to be bothered.”
Picard frowned at the answer. The Iconians built their empire, invented technology far beyond their peers, and just walked away from it all? What could they be building now?
“The use of the entire network was something none of us had witnessed before,” a woman said. “We were intrigued to see what would happen, all you people flitting here and there like insects drawn to nectar.”
“Ships, peoples, things, it all moved back and forth with no one harnessing the equipment to its fullest potential,” the woman beside her said.
“You’ve just watched people steal, people die?” Picard was incredulous and found an anger building within him he wanted to avoid. The last thing he wanted was to be mad at the people he had longed to meet.
“Our laws say we are to watch, remain vigilant in case we were threatened,” a man said. “We obey our laws here.”
Picard approached them and no one moved. He glanced at the viewscreen and saw nothing had changed there either.
“I am sworn to protect my people and I need your help to do that. I need to know how to shut down the entire network.”
The five seated Iconians looked from one to another, either silently communing or totally lost. Picard prayed it wasn’t the latter. He noted they looked to the woman to his right, who shifted her feet.
“The laws are vague about helping other species,” she admitted.
“Are you six speaking for your people?” the captain demanded.
“We have very little need for governance,” she said. “As it is, there have been gaps in the information flow. I think we can help you. While I should not speak for the others, I have personally been intrigued by how you and your ships help more than hurt.”
The others remained silent and still, not agreeing or disagreeing with the opinion. Picard had expected something different from these people and wanted to keep his disappointment private. “If I shut down the gateways,